$1,000 to $30,000: "You Could Buy a Car"... Donkey Prices Soar in War-Torn Gaza

Donkey prices soar in Gaza as they become a "means of transportation"

Livestock prices rise as vehicle transport grinds to a halt and animal populations dwindle

Black-market traders are also stockpiling livestock

Prices of livestock, including donkeys used for transportation, are soaring in the Gaza Strip, Palestine, where the war has made it difficult to operate vehicles.

Donkey. Pixabay

According to the UK newspaper The Telegraph on October 13 local time, the price of a donkey in the Gaza Strip has risen from about $1,000 (about KRW 1.34 million) before the war to as much as $30,000 (about KRW 40.31 million) recently. The increase is attributed to the effective collapse of civilian transportation by vehicle and the emergence of some black-market traders who have amassed wealth by diverting aid supplies. The donkey population has also fallen by half over the past three years, creating a shortage.

Local veterinarian Ahmed Thabet said people hear the prices and ask if he meant $3,000 (about KRW 4.03 million) by mistake. "Before the war, the average price of a donkey was $1,000-$1,200 (about KRW 1.34-1.61 million). Recently, it was $20,000 (about KRW 26.87 million), and last week I saw one sell for $30,000 (about KRW 40.31 million)," he said.

Livestock trader Abu Sanad al-Sawarka, 33, said prices vary depending on the animal's health and strength. Healthy, sturdy donkeys sell for about $19,000-$23,000 (about KRW 25.53-30.90 million), while horses go for about $26,000-$29,000 (about KRW 34.93-38.96 million). A mule in good condition can cost about $35,000 (about KRW 47.02 million). He said he bought a female donkey and her one-month-old foal for about $26,000 (about KRW 34.93 million) two weeks ago, then sold them for a small profit, adding that prices change every week.

Thabet said the value of livestock used for transportation has risen as even automobile parts are difficult to find and a liter of engine oil can cost as much as $1,000 (about KRW 1.34 million). Donkeys can earn substantial income by hauling rubble, garbage, household belongings and other goods.

Many donkeys also died during the war because of a shortage of feed. Livestock owners had to give them unsuitable substitutes, such as raw lentils and uncooked rice, and some animals died as a result. Hundreds of donkeys were also killed by shelling and other attacks.

Aid deliveries improved significantly after major military operations ended about a year ago and a fragile ceasefire began, but prices remain higher than before the war. According to Thabet, some traders who built up vast fortunes by diverting and reselling food and other supplies before the ceasefire are buying donkeys and other livestock to gain control of the transportation market.

The World Food Programme (WFP) also said in an August report that three-quarters of households were struggling to access markets because of cash shortages and high food prices.

Surviving donkeys, horses and other animals are being fed, but they are subjected to excessive labor. Wounds caused by reins and harnesses are common, and animals also suffer from musculoskeletal disorders and dental, digestive and hoof problems. However, treatment is difficult because of shortages of medical equipment and medicine.

The veterinary hospital where Thabet worked was also destroyed in a bombing, and most of its supplies were ruined. He continues to treat animals amid the building's rubble with two other veterinarians and one veterinary assistant. The organization is avoiding buying medicine on the black market so as not to fuel price increases, and is working to bring in veterinary medicines and equipment.

In a request for supplies sent to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UK charity Safe Haven for Donkeys estimated that nearly half of the approximately 5,000 horses, donkeys and mules in the Gaza Strip before the war had died. Price increases are spreading to other livestock as well. A sheep sells for $6,000-$8,000 (about KRW 8.06-10.75 million), while a lamb that is one week old goes for $800-$1,000 (about KRW 1.07-1.34 million).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.